Hi! I’m Issy and I’ve just celebrated 3 years as a Commercial Manager at AO.
Before AO, I worked in External Audit for four years, so I’ve swapped my career path since leaving Uni,and It’s safe to say there’s never been a dull moment.
I joined AO as a Commercial Manager looking after the team who analysed
- How customers came to our site (AO.com)
- Onsite customer behaviour
- Understanding buying habits
As well as this I looked after the analysis for all of our White Goods sales, workforce planning for our Delivery Drivers and AO’s Recycling Centre.
My top tips for starting a new commercial role:
- Know the business and its competitors
Visits retailers’ websites, subscribe to their emails, know what they are about. This way you will be in the know for things that are going on and initiatives business are launching. This gives you ideas of ways you could improve a business or challenge the way it works. The strongest of applicants are those that care to research, to keep up to date and actively do so. Visit the stores and understand the market. This way you make better informed decisions in the long run.
- Learn to be resilient
Resilience is key in the current world, things will come to challenge us, but the main thing is picking yourself back up and carrying on. Home and work will send us challenges which we must face and conquer, that’s the enjoyment to life. There are some great books out there, I particularly like Dale Carnegie and some great small learnings on sites like Udemy. I aim to spend a bit of time each week revisiting things like this, you can’ remember everything, so revisiting is good.
- Think like it’s your business
Everyday I come to work and obsess over our customers and KPIs like it’s my business, that way I have passion and care about the customers of AO and of my teams. I try to innovate to find a better way for even just one customer or £1 win. I know that with this mentality I will always do the right thing and drive for a better way. All business experience things that go wrong so I know I will make mistakes and things won’ work out as planned but I know I care enough to keep going.
- Enjoy what you do
I genuinely have hundreds of friends at work who keep me upbeat, challenged, supported and enjoying what I do. I look forward to going to work and being around everyone (even if its virtually now!). I can honestly say the people are what make a job, I know I can reach out and have a chat with anyone and I love hearing their stories too. They are great individuals with great experiences and their input helps me do the best in my day to day.
- Learn more
Never stop learning, since the day I left uni there hasn’ been a day where I haven’ learnt something new. I keep a record of everything I have learnt then I can reflect and see how far I have come. I challenge myself with online learning and even 3 additional qualifications. Not only does it make you more knowledgeable, driven and creative you also meet more great people along the way. A quick 10-minute video or blog will always give you something to think about, remember you aren’ there to remember it all but as long as you take away one thing from every book, article or video you are winning.